


Cherry Wine

by Van1llaB34n



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Abuse, Abused Arthur Pendragon, F/M, Happy Valentines Day you depressed little buggers lol, Hozier is my lord and savior, I'll think of more tags later when it's not 4 am, Oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:41:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29456922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Van1llaB34n/pseuds/Van1llaB34n
Summary: “I’m sorry. Oh my god, I’m so sorry! I love you so much, Arthur. You know I love you. I’m so sorry! I- I- I didn’t mean to do that!”Arthur turned and stared at her. Her mascara ran down her face and her lips trembled. He hesitated then held her reaching hand and pulled her to his chest. She wrapped herself around him, shaking and heaving wet cries.“Hey, it’s ok… It’s not that big of a deal, Guinevere. It’s ok.”The blood is rare and sweet as cherry wine.
Relationships: Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Cherry Wine

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if this is bad I wrote this at some god awful time of night lol. If you end up liking it and want a story based on this oneshot please let me know! xoxo J

Abusive people aren’t always the ones we expect. Sometimes, they’re not the drunk man in a white tank-top with a drawl and unshaved stubble and yellow teeth. Sometimes, they’re not the obnoxious boy in the back of a prom trying to get pictures up the girl’s dresses. Sometimes, they’re not the controlling mom with a big fancy job and a coke habit with no time for her kids. 

Abusive people can be the ones you least expect. They can be the men with the sweetest smiles and kindest eyes, who hold an umbrella over your head and walk you home. They can be the girl who holds your hand to cross the street every time and whose favorite movie is Lilo & Stitch. 

People will say, “Oh, I love their energy!” or “They seem like such a sweetheart.” or “Oh, they wouldn’t even hurt a fly!”. 

Abusive people can be the ones whose laughs are the loudest and words are the kindest….until they’re not. 

_ Her eyes and words are so icy _

_ Oh but she burns _

_ Like rum on the fire _

The first time it happened, Arthur and Gwen were fighting. He’d tried to ignore it, her buzzing phone in the middle of the night, the smudged lipstick and messy hair, the smiles and touches given to Lance instead of him. But Arthur waited for her that night, to confront her because he couldn’t take it anymore. Gwen was cheating on him. 

She stumbled into the flat around 3 am, dropping her heels loudly onto the floor and slamming the door. Arthur stepped forward, his mouth opening to speak, but when Gwen saw him, she groaned annoyedly and raised a hand to silence him. She tripped over to the wine cabinet and pulled out a bottle. Clearly, not her first drink of the night.

“What?” Gwen giggled drunkenly, “Mad you missed out on all of the fun?”

“I… Where were you, Guinevere?”

“I was out drinking with the girls, Arthur! God, you’re such a drag it's not that late!” She rolled her eyes and poured a glass, swallowing it all in one go.

“You weren’t… You were with Lance. Again.” Arthur’s eyes were bloodshot, his hands shaking at his sides. He stared at her, this beautiful woman that he loved and had loved for years now. But she was different now. So angry and secretive. But she was his, and Arthur wanted nothing more than to rush forward and just hold her. To run his hands through her messy curly hair and keep her close. But he couldn’t anymore.

“Oh, would you let that go! It’s been months! It was one bloody time and you’re holding this stupid grudge over it-” Gwen scoffed, a disbelieving and condescending tone bleeding into the light pitch of her voice.

“It’s not stupid. I know you’re still… seeing him. I-”

_ Hot and fast and angry as she can be _

_ I walk my days on a wire. _

“Arthur, I don’t want to deal with this right now. We’ll talk in the morning.”

“No, Guinevere. I- I can’t just pretend anymore. I have to…” Arthur stepped to the side, revealing his bags packed against the couch. Gwen’s eyes narrowed, and her bubbly persona wavered and fell.

“Oh, so you’re breaking up with me? Really?” She bit out sharply, pouring more wine and swirling it roughly in the glass. She slammed the cup down on the counter, the red drink splashing and dripping onto the marble.

“I-...” Arthur stuttered, wanting both to step forward and to step back. Instead, he stayed stuck with his feet to the floor.

“You’re gonna leave me just because you can’t let go of some mistake I made months ago? Mature, really, Arthur.”

“Guinevere…”

She snarled at his apologetic whispering. Sucking in a large breath heavily she feigned disinterest and downed the second glass of wine. Gwen stalked forward, Arthur stumbling out of her way, and grabbed his bags, throwing them against the front door. “No, you know what, it’s fine! GO! Leave like the bloody coward you are. You’re such a baby. Good luck finding someone else who can put up with your fucking whining.”

“I- You cheated on me. What do you want me to do?!”

“Cheated on you?! I was hurting, Arthur! I had just lost my father and we were always fighting! It’s not my fault I had to look elsewhere for comfort when you were being such a stuck up ass!”

_ It looks ugly, but it's clean, _

_ Oh momma, don't fuss over me. _

“I tried to help you! You wouldn’t let me!” Arthur tried to be angry, raising his voice, but he bit his tongue as the words came out desperate and pathetic.

“Oh you tried to help me, did you? You’re such a little angel really, Arthur. You’re so fucking narcissistic!”

“I didn’t do anything! I tried to be there for you! You didn’t want me! You fucked my best friend!”

Gwen let out a loud stinging laugh and threw her empty glass into the sink, shattering it in the basin. “Fuck you! You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Arthur stared at the broken glass, tears stinging in his eyes. This wasn’t like Guinevere. She was so sweet and kind and gentle. It had been one of the things he loved most about her. How much love she just seemed to always glow with.“Do you even love me?! I know you’re still with him… you’re such a liar!

“SHUT UP!” Gwen screamed, whipping around and backhanding Arthur hard across the face

_ The way she tells me I'm hers and she is mine _

_ Open hand or closed fist would be fine. _

Gwen’s hand hit Arthur’s cheek with such force that Arthur lost his footing and fell to the ground. Silence filled the flat, Gwen’s ragged breathing and Arthur’s stunned shivering. His face burned and blood from where Gwen’s rings dug into his skin dripped to the wood floor. Arthur rose to his knees, a finger prodding at the mark gently, a stuttering gasp leaving his lips. Guinevere hit him. She hit him…

He stayed turned away from her, facing the door where his bag lay haphazardly where they had been thrown. He should leave. She hit him! But…

But Guinevere was crying. He could hear her sobs and gasps. She reached out to him, her fingers clinging to his sleeve, and he flinched away.

“I’m sorry. Oh my god, I’m so sorry! I love you so much, Arthur. You know I love you. I’m so sorry! I- I- I didn’t mean to do that!”

Arthur turned and stared at her. Her mascara ran down her face and her lips trembled. He hesitated then held her reaching hand and pulled her to his chest. She wrapped herself around him, shaking and heaving wet cries.

“Hey, it’s ok… It’s not that big of a deal, Guinevere. It’s ok.”

_ The blood is rare and sweet as cherry wine. _

The next morning, Arthur woke to the smell of bacon and sausages and something burnt. He rolled out of the blankets carefully, stepping curiously out into the kitchen. Gwen stood with her back to him, facing the stove. She was wearing a pink dress with white dots, the dress she wore on their first coffee date all those years ago. Her hair was braided, a few curls poking out, and her feet were tucked into Arthur’s blue slippers. They were too big for her feet, and she waddled with them to the toaster, where two pieces of smoking black bread had popped from the vents. Arthur quirked a brow and leaned against the doorway.

_ Calls of guilty thrown at me _

_ All while she stains _

_ The sheets of some other _

Sensing his stare, Gwen turned around and caught his breath with a wide and beaming smile. Her face was all done up with natural makeup, soft pink lips framing the proud grin as she gestured to the table. 

“I made you a fry-up! But without the beans, because I know how you hate those!”

It was actually the mushrooms Arthur hated, but he didn’t mind at all. She held out a hand to lead him to his seat. Setting down his tea and pressing a kiss to his unbruised cheek, Guinevere nodded to the crispy burnt toast.

“I overdid those a bit, but I’ll get you some toast in a second!”

“Oh, it’s fine -”

“Nonsense, luv. It’ll just be a minute!”

_ Thrown at me so powerfully _

_ Just like she throws with the arm of her brother. _

Luv… Guinevere hadn’t called him that in months. Arthur watched her dance around the kitchen, sipping his tea, and smiled softly to her as she brought over a plate of sliced fruit and some pale toast.

“I tried to fry them in the egg pan, but I like that fancy toaster more… But then I burned those, too.”

“It’s perfect, Guinevere. Thank you.”

Gwen smiled at him, pulling out a chair to sit next to him, and her fingers grazed up and down his arm. Slowly, her touch raised to Arthur’s face. She frowned at the red and purple mark across his jaw, running her hand over the scab on his cheekbone. Fiddling at a strand of blond hair and pushing it forward over the bruise, she kissed him sweetly. He held his breath, this moment, this Gwen that greeted him this morning seeming too good to be true. His cheek throbbed, and his jaw was stiff, but her lips were so plush against his and he found it hard to care.

_ But I want it _

_ It's a crime _

_ That she's not around most of the time. _

_ The way she shows me I'm hers and she is mine _

Gwen pulled away and sighed quietly.

“Eat up, Arthur… I’ll get some cover-up from the shop on my way home from work. I called in sick for you today so you can rest. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Oh...okay, luv. Thank you.”

Gwen slipped on her heels and clutched her purse, turning one last time to the blond man staring adoringly at her. 

“I- I’m so sorry, Arthur. It will never happen again. I swear it.”

“Okay, Guinevere.”

And with that she turned and left, shutting the door and locking it gently behind herself.

_ Open hand or closed fist would be fine _

_ Blood is rare and sweet as cherry wine. _

It did happen again. And again. And again.

**Author's Note:**

> “If you throw a frog in boiling water it will jump right out. It’s too hot. But if you put a frog in cold water and slowly turn up the heat, the frog will stay and adjust. And then finally die."


End file.
